The East Coast Greenway is a pedestrian and bicycle route between Maine and Florida along the East Coast of the United States. The nonprofit East Coast Greenway Alliance was founded in 1991 with the goal to use the entire route with off-road, shared-use paths; , more than of the route (nearly 40%) meets these criteria. The Greenway receives over 50 million annual visits.
History
In 1991, a group of cyclists and long-distance trail enthusiasts met in New York City and formed a national non-profit organization, the East Coast Greenway Alliance, to plan and promote a greenway linking existing and planned trails into a contiguous "spine route" between Atlantic coast cities.
In summer 1992, the ECGA sent nine cyclists from Boston, New York City, Vermont, and Washington, D.C., on a 30-day "exploratory" cycle tour.
In 1993, tours went along the route to explore options and promote the idea of the greenway. In 1994, the first promotional tour took place from Maine to Washington, D.C. "East Coast Greenway" became a trademark in 1995.
The first five trail segments were designated in 1996. These segments were the Baltimore & Annapolis Trail in Maryland, the Charter Oak Greenway in Connecticut, the Coventry Greenway in Rhode Island, the Farmington Canal Greenway in Connecticut, and the Delaware & Raritan Canal Trail in New Jersey. These trails make up of the greenway.
Between 1997 and 2000, about of trail segments were designated throughout the region. In 2000, Amtrak became a partner, helping to open access to various parts of the route. Between February and June 2000, the ECG Wave non-motorized relay carried a bottle of seawater from Key West to Canada along the route of the ECG. From 2001 to 2004, another were designated, and multiple states stepped in to help finalize their section of the route. This brought in more partnerships with government organizations, such as NJDOT, that would be essential for trail development. In 2003, members of the House of Representatives and the Senate signed letters to President Bush in support of the greenway.
In 2004, seven cyclists rode the entire route, from Key West to Calais, in 55 days. Later that year, the first Maine-to-Florida tour was held; four cyclists completed the event in 52 days, raising $75,000. In the following years, more people would complete the ride outside of ECG events. A 2005 GQ magazine article about a ride by Wil Hylton brought national attention to the greenway.
The entire spine route was finalized and mapped in 2008. The accessibility of the trail expanded with support of the states, and more events were held each year.
In 2020, the route reached over of completed off-road greenway. Efforts to increase the amount of off-road routes continue.
On June 25, 2021, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a law adding the state's section of the greenway as its tenth State Trail.
Route
Major cities connected by the spine route are:
Calais, Maine Bangor, Maine Augusta, Maine Portland, Maine Portsmouth, New Hampshire Newburyport, Massachusetts Boston, Massachusetts Worcester, Massachusetts Providence, Rhode Island Hartford, Connecticut New Haven, Connecticut Bridgeport, Connecticut Norwalk, Connecticut Stamford, Connecticut New Rochelle, New York New York, New York Jersey City, New Jersey Newark, New Jersey New Brunswick, New Jersey Trenton, New Jersey Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wilmington, Delaware Baltimore, Maryland Annapolis, Maryland Washington, District of Columbia Richmond, Virginia Durham, North Carolina Raleigh, North Carolina Fayetteville, North Carolina Wilmington, North Carolina Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Charleston, South Carolina Savannah, Georgia Brunswick, Georgia Jacksonville, Florida St. Augustine, Florida Daytona Beach, Florida Titusville, Florida Melbourne, Florida Fort Pierce, Florida West Palm Beach, Florida Boca Raton, Florida Fort Lauderdale, Florida Miami, Florida Key West, Florida Other cities may be connected by an alternate route in some locations.
Active segments As of 2026, designated segments of the East Coast Greenway include:
New England region Maine
Travelers start in Calais, Maine, at the Canada–US border, and pedal southwest through Ellsworth, where they can stay on the inland spine route through Bangor or veer off along a coastal route. The routes rejoin north of Portland, then head on towards Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The route through Maine is long, and 39% of that is currently off-road. Calais Waterfront Walkway – Calais Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge Trail – Baring Downeast Sunrise Trail – Washington & Hancock counties Kennebec River Rail Trail – Augusta, Hallowell, Farmingdale, to Gardiner Rotary Centennial Trail – Benton Lewiston Riverside Trail – Lewiston Lisbon Trail – Lisbon Topsham Trail – Topsham Androscoggin River Bicycle Path – Brunswick Beth Condon Memorial Pathway – Yarmouth Martin's Point Bridge – Falmouth to Portland Eastern Promenade/Connector/Back Cove Trail – Portland South Portland Green Belt – South Portland Eastern Trail – Scarborough, Saco, to Old Orchard Beach
New Hampshire Riders enter the state on the Memorial Bridge in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and follow the coastline to Seabrook and then on to the Massachusetts border. New Hampshire has the shortest portion of the greenway: about , all on-road.
Massachusetts
The greenway enters the state near Salisbury, Massachusetts, and heads south towards Boston and then to Waltham. Next, it travels on from Worcester to the Rhode Island border. The route travels along the Charles River and past the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. Border to Boston Trail – Salisbury, Newburyport, Wenham, Danvers, to Peabody Peabody Independence Greenway – Peabody Salem Bike Path – Salem Lynn Beach Promenade – Lynn Lynnway Sidepath – Lynn Northern Strand Community Trail – Malden to Everett Everett Bike Path – Everett North Bank Park Path – Boston to Cambridge Charles River Bike Path – Boston, Watertown, Newton, to Waltham Mass Central Rail Trail – Boston to Cambridge Mass Central Rail Trail—Wayside – Weston to Wayland Upper Charles Trail – Holliston to Milford Blackstone River Bikeway – Worcester to Millbury & Uxbridge to Blackstone
Rhode Island
The greenway enters from Massachusetts on the Blackstone River Bikeway and follows the historic Blackstone Canal. It travels down to Pawtucket and then into Providence, where it goes around India Point Park at Narragansett Bay, and then on to Cranston. This section of greenway is 52% off-road, with another 30% being developed. Blackstone River Greenway – Woonsocket, Cumberland, to Lincoln East Bay Bike Path – East Providence to Warren Providence Riverwalk in Waterplace Park – Providence Washington Secondary Rail Trail, which combines: Cranston Bike Path – Cranston Warwick Greenway – Warwick West Warwick Greenway – West Warwick Coventry Greenway and Trestle Trail – Coventry
Connecticut Connecticut has the most rural stretch of trail in the region. It runs through historic mill towns, such as Willimantic, and major cities like Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, and Stamford. Users can travel on the Farmington Canal Greenway to get to New Haven from Simsbury and then ride along the Long Island Sound as they exit the state. Currently, 28% of the route is off-road, with an additional 28% in development. Moosup Valley State Park Trail – Plainfield Quinebaug River Trail – Killingly Tracy Road Smart Parks Trail – Killingly to Putnam Air Line State Park Trail North – Windham County Veterans Memorial Greenway – Willimantic Hop River State Park Trail - Willimantic to Bolton Charter Oak Greenway – Manchester to East Hartford Founders Bridge Path – Hartford to East Hartford Phoenix Plaza – Hartford Travelers Plaza – Hartford Bushnell Park Path – Hartford Farmington Canal Heritage Trail – Simsbury, Avon, Farmington, Southington, Cheshire, Hamden, to New Haven Savin Rock Trail – West Haven Long Wharf Nature Preserve Trail – New Haven Silver Sands State Park Path – Milford
Mid-Atlantic region New York
The New York segments starts in Westchester County and heads south into New York City through the Bronx and Manhattan. The route travels down sections of Broadway and along the Hudson River, which travelers can cross via the George Washington Bridge or by taking a NY Waterway ferry into New Jersey. New York is home to of greenway, with 62% of the route, the highest percentage on the greenway, being off-road. In Manhattan, 90% of the trail is off-road. Part of the New York City segment is concurrent with the Empire State Trail, which also goes up the west side of Manhattan but diverges from the East Coast Greenway in the Bronx, heading northward through the state instead of towards Connecticut. Shore Road Greenway – Bronx Pelham Parkway Greenway – Bronx Bronx Park Greenway – Bronx Bronx River Pathway – Bronx Mosholu Parkway Greenway – Bronx Van Cortlandt Park Greenway – Bronx Hudson River Greenway – Manhattan Randall's Island Greenway – Manhattan 103rd Street Footbridge – Manhattan East River Esplanade – Manhattan NY Waterway Ferry – Manhattan to Jersey City, NJ
New Jersey The New Jersey section of the greenway is accessed from New York across the Hudson River by the George Washington Bridge or ferry, and from Pennsylvania by the Calhoun Street Bridge across the Delaware River. The route travels through Jersey City, Newark, New Brunswick, and Trenton while also traveling through rural areas. New Jersey has the second-highest percentage of off-road trails at 54%. Hudson River Waterfront Walkway – Hudson Waterfront – Fort Lee to Jersey City Local streets – Jersey City Lincoln Park Path – Jersey City Lincoln Highway Hackensack River Bridge and Passaic River Bridge (Wittpenn Bridge, once completed ) Newark Riverfront Trail – Newark Weequahic Park – Newark Rahway River Parkway – Union County Black Brook Park Path – Kenilworth Lenape Park Path – Union County Nomahegan Park Path – Cranford Roosevelt Park Path – Metuchen Merrill Park Path – Middlesex County Middlesex Greenway – Middlesex County Donaldson Park Path – Middlesex County Johnson Park Path – Piscataway Landing Lane Bridge Path – Piscataway & New Brunswick D&R Canal Trail – New Brunswick & Trenton D&R Canal Towpath – Hamilton & Bordentown Calhoun Street Bridge – Trenton, New Jersey, to Morrisville, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The greenway travels through the smaller towns of Bucks County, then through the city of Philadelphia, where it passes numerous historical landmarks and travels over Spring Garden Street, which has bike lanes going both ways. The route follows the Schuylkill River Trail south towards Delaware. The route is 31% off-road, but there is a third of the trail that has no route yet. Planning is being done to close the gaps. Delaware Canal State Park Trail – Bucks County Bristol Spur Line Park Trail – Bristol Pennypack Creek Park Trail – Philadelphia Port Richmond Trail – Philadelphia K&T Trail at Lardner's Point Park – Philadelphia Penn Street Trail – Philadelphia Schuylkill River Trail – Philadelphia Bartram's Gardens Trail – Philadelphia Grays Ferry Crescent – Philadelphia Cobbs Creek Trail – Philadelphia 58th Street Connector – Philadelphia Heinz NWR Trail – Philadelphia Route 291 Sidepath – Eddystone Chester Riverwalk – Chester
Delaware
The greenway runs for through Delaware. Greenway users travel down the Northern Delaware Greenway to historic Wilmington and continue on to the Christina Riverwalk. Next, travelers head to historic New Castle and ride along the New Castle Riverfront before reaching Newark and heading west towards Maryland. Northern Delaware Greenway – New Castle County Christina Riverwalk – Wilmington Jack A. Markell Trail – New Castle New Castle Riverfront Greenway – New Castle Penn Farm Trail – New Castle